2025 Friend of the Year Award Recipients

Friends of Texas Public Schools is proud to announce our annual Friend of the Year Dinner, a celebration of the immense value public schools bring to our state’s 1,000+ public school districts. Each year, we honor leaders who rise to meet their moment – those who provide solutions in times of challenge, build bridges across party lines, and embody the depth and diversity of Texas public education.

Public education is complex, multi-faceted, and deeply worth defending. Our Friends of the Year Award recipients remind us that progress happens when we come together, follow courageous leadership, and commit to strengthening every school system across Texas.

This year, we are honored to present the 2025 Friend of the Year Awards to remarkable individuals. Each will take the stage to accept their award and share reflections from their work in public education on Wednesday, November 12th, at the Baylor Club, McLane Stadium.

We invite you to purchase your ticket and join us for an evening of recognition, storytelling, and community – celebrated this year with a Wild, Wild West theme. Please take a moment to read their bios below and join us in congratulating our 2025 honorees on this well-deserved recognition.

Additional information is available at www.fotps.org/dinner

2025 Ambassador of the Year

Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez - Superintendent Emeritus, Kingsville ISD

Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez is a 39-year educator and superintendent of Kingsville ISD since 2020. A Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Ed.D. and Texas A&M–Kingsville graduate, she has served as teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent across South Texas. She co-founded the Suicide Prevention Task Force with Chairman Todd Hunter, helping secure HB 3980 and HCR 137 to designate September as Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Month and guide a statewide plan. As principal of Ray High School, she convened student safety forums after Parkland and Santa Fe and hosted a first-of-its-kind legislative panel, later sharing lessons on CNN/HLN, NPR, and at SXSW EDU. As superintendent, she led a coalition of 120+ districts serving 2.6 million students to push for fair testing and accountability, contributing to some of the latest reforms. Honors include Texas Secondary Principal of the Year and H-E-B State Principal of the Year. Her mantra, “Teamwork works!” guides her work.

2025 Friend of the Year

Fred Markham, CEO and President, Texas Pioneer Foundation

Fred Markham is President and CEO of the Texas Pioneer Foundation, a private, independent foundation located in Texarkana, Texas. The foundation makes grants for educational purposes that include post-secondary education, support for public school foundations, literacy and life skills. In 2012, the Texas Pioneer Foundation created the Texas Education Foundation Network (TEFN) to support local education foundations in Texas by providing networking opportunities, sharing of best practices, training and resources to foundations, and currently serves over 300 school foundations. 

Fred is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, and the SMU Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.  After a 30-year career in banking, he became Executive Director of the Central Texas Higher Education Authority in 1996 and worked with members of the board of directors to create the Texas Pioneer Foundation in 2004. Fred has been involved in numerous charitable and educational activities throughout his career.

Michelle Coburn, Executive Director, Texas Pioneer Foundation

Michelle Coburn is the Executive Director of Texas Pioneer Foundation, a private, independent foundation that makes grants for educational purposes that include post-secondary education, support for public school foundations, literacy and life skills. Michelle is also the Director of the Texas Education Foundation Network (TEFN), a charitable activity of the Texas Pioneer Foundation, which works with over 300 local education foundations across Texas to provide networking opportunities, sharing of best practices and training and resources to foundations.

Michelle received her Management of Nonprofit Organizations Certificate from the University of Texas and earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from LeTourneau University. Prior to working with Texas Pioneer Foundation, Michelle had a 15-year career in the federal student loan industry specializing in operations and business development.  Michelle joined the Central Texas Higher Education Authority in 1995 and worked with the executive director and members of the board of directors to help create the Texas Pioneer Foundation in 2004. 

2025 Founders’ Distinguished Service Award

The Honorable James Talarico, State Representative, TX-50

Representative James Talarico is a former public school teacher and education non-profit leader who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He earned degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University. Rep. Talarico currently serves on the Public Education Committee, the House Administration Committee, and as Vice Chair of the Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Committee. He was named one of the Top 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine for his accomplishments. During his three terms in office, Rep. Talarico has passed legislation to establish the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, equip schools with Narcan to fight teen overdoses, improve the quality and affordability of childcare, dramatically reduce prescription drug costs, and give incarcerated minors the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma. He is currently a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in addition to his work as a legislator.

2025 Founders’ Distinguished Service Award

The Honorable Dade Phelan, State Representative, TX-21

Representative Dade Phelan is the former Speaker of the Texas House (2021–2025) and a fifth-term legislator from Beaumont with a B.A. in Government and Business from The University of Texas at Austin. In the 89th Legislature, he chairs the House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures and serves on State Affairs. As Speaker, Phelan prioritized K–12 school safety and youth mental health in the wake of Uvalde—helping advance House Bill 3 (2023) and sustaining interim work on youth health and safety. He has been recognized by the Texas Association of Community Schools as a “Most Valuable Legislator.”

2025 Founders’ Distinguished Service Award

The Honorable Gary VanDeaver, State Representative, TX-1

Representative Gary VanDeaver is a retired rural educator – vocational agriculture teacher, principal, and superintendent – serving House District 1 since 2015. He earned his doctorate in Educational Administration from East Texas State University (now East Texas A&M University). In the 89th Legislature, he chairs the House Committee on Public Health and serves on Higher Education. VanDeaver authored House Bill 8 (2023), the widely praised overhaul of Texas’ community college finance system that ties funding to student outcomes, and he’s been a leading rural voice protecting neighborhood public schools and taxpayer dollars.